Oh good grief -Â anotherÂ – nursey rhyme amended by the PC brigade. No more baa baa black sheep. Humpty falling off the wall was too violent. Three pigs may offend muslims. Those billy goats gruff had better watch it, and I for one wouldn’t want to be in Rumplestiltskins shoes!!

I have a cycle which I use (not often mind you). I travel over 250 miles a day on public transport. I also have a car. I do not accept that just because statistics show that there are more injuries caused to cyclists by cars, that should in any way be used as an excuse by cyclists to break the law. Riding on pavements. Riding with no lights and worst of all shooting through red lights.

Now I for one don’t envy anyone on their bike in London. I wouldn’t dare. However I also wouldnt fancy driving in London either. As a pedestrian I feel more at threat to cyclists when I am crossing the road than I do from cars. The attitude Ive more often than not experienced is one of "well a car has cut me up so I will cut you pedestrians up". Is it any wonder that cyclists give themselves a bad name.

Blogging takes hold in the strangest of places. I remember watching the programme on John Prescott that was on a while ago and the thing I took from it was that in spit of everything – all the fun poked at him and so on – he did come from a humble background and became Deputy Prime Minister of this country. Couldn’t have been that daft then could he!

I guess its the northerner in me that always likes to see someone from nothing so to speak reach great heights. What is even more fascinating for me is that the man portrayed as being bumbling and stupid by the media in actual fact has a better understanding of the internet and its power than some self styled blog guru’s who shall remain nameless.

I think my views of Prescott are very much like those of my former MP Tony Benn. I disagree with much of your political philosophy – but I kind of respect what you are doing!

Having worked in the lobbying industry in the past I followed the whole debate about what to do with the UKs lobbying industry with interest. Should they have a compulsory register? Should they be forced to publish every client and every person they meet?

Isn’t it interesting that the focus has never turned to our elected or indeed non-elected representatives.

Those terrible lobbyists! If they don’t tell you who their clients are they could be representing someÂ awful peopleÂ – someone like, say, Robert Mugabe!

Isn’t it interesting that in the light of allegations about the possibility that certain members of the House of Lords MAY have accepted money in return for trying to change legislation, suddenly the focus has turned (and quite rightly so) onto those members of the legislature.

In my view, this is where the focus should always have been. It’s no good saying that these lobbyist are awful and need to be regulated, as in every single case no one is ever forced to meet with lobbyists. If a lobbying company is meeting someone who is seen as unreputable then it is down to the MP, the Lord, The Minister or indeed the Civil Servant to say NO, I don’t want to meet you. If lobbyists have been getting away with representing unsavoury clients, the question that really should have been asked is not why are they being represented, as thats the role the lobbyist is paid to do. The question is why haven’t elected represnetatives or officials not turned down meetings if the clients being represented are so unsavoury?

Without lobbyists we would have some awful pieces of legislation that doesn’t take into acccount any of the unitended consequences that become apparent long after the legislation has been drafted.

I suspect there may be a few people with wry smiles on their faceÂ after having seen the industry kicked about during hearings of the Public Administration committee, it nowappears it could be Memebers of the Upper House who have brought the system into disrepute.

Good news good news… several members of the Shadow Cabinet have signed up to do an interview with Tory Radio. Watch this space, as once the dates are in the diary we will be back to our podcasting best!

Now I can understand that Nick Clegg must be getting quite frustrated that he isn’t getting many headlines at the moment. It can’t help that the only person the media might want to talk to in these testing times are his No. 1 contender Vince Cable.